Downing Street said it welcomed the text, describing it as a "valuable statement" and insisting that it did "not assert new legal rights". The move effectively committed the Government to signing up to the charter in Biarritz next week.

All 15 EU member states were now ready to accept the draft, ensuring that it would be adopted in its current form. The only remaining question was whether it would be added as legally-binding protocol to the Nice Treaty in December or merely tacked on as a declaratory statement.

The CBI said the final text was a great improvement on earlier versions. "Nobody should pretend that this draft is perfect but the Government has fought hard for business and come up with a result we can live with," said Susan Anderson, CBI director of human resources policy.